Dendrobium
“What?” Su Chen asked subconsciously.
“Dendrobium loddigesii!”
Dendrobium loddigesii belongs to the family Orchidaceae, mainly distributed in subtropical climates. It can be used in medicine, and in recent years, due to its beautiful flowers, it has become an ornamental plant.
After Wei Liu and the other two followed up the mountain, they couldn’t help much, but rather got in the way. Seeing the beautiful scenery here, they reported back to Father Su and then wandered around.
Strangely, although there was no path made by humans, the shrubs and trees around were sparse, making it easy to walk.
The main water source of Huayuan Village is a mountain spring stream developed from the mountains. The three followed the stream upstream. The trees became denser, and the sound of water became louder.
The wild grass and bushes by the stream became even more lush. Wei Liu remembered that when he came to the foot of the mountain to dig bamboo shoots last time, Su Mu had said that there was a wild vegetable called “water fern” by the stream, with a unique and refreshing taste.
He planned to pick some on the way back. There were plenty of water ferns here, and they were fat and tender.
“This is the water fern, but unfortunately, I didn’t get to taste it last time.”
While Wei Liu was talking and clearing the way, Gu Shi and He Fu were surveying the surroundings.
This place was not quiet; the birds and beasts in the mountains whispered, the stream flowed gently, the breeze rustled the leaves—such a natural scenery.
None of the three were easily confused individuals, so they continued forward confidently and without worry.
Until the end of the stream, a waterfall descended from nine heavens, striking the rocks below and producing a rushing sound. A spacious water pool came into view for everyone.
The water pool was as deep as jade, occasionally rippling on the surface.
When the thin waterfall flowed down and was blown by the wind, the damp mist splashed onto the faces of the three.
“This place is really beautiful.” They had seen more beautiful sceneries than this, but none could match the vitality and wild charm of this place.
Perhaps every place had its own water source area. In general, the trees near the water source were not to be cut down, as trees were crucial carriers for water storage.
As a result, the trees here were tall and lush, resembling a tropical rainforest, rich in various plant and animal resources.
Dendrobium loddigesii grew on the branches of trees not far from the water pool, forming clusters of brilliantly blooming flowers.
Their colors were not limited to plain white; there were purples, yellows, pinks, and more. Describing this scene as “colorful and radiant” would be most fitting.
However beautiful they were, their price wasn’t high. The market price ranged from over a hundred to within a thousand yuan.
Near the water pool, they also found several wild orchids in full bloom. They were varieties they had never seen before. They suspected these were protected plant species and refrained from disturbing them.
Silent admiration was enough. Wei Liu did take quite a few photos, intending to ask his grandfather about them once he got home.
This trip was well worth it. On the return journey, they couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement.
Of course, Wei Liu, the food enthusiast, didn’t forget to pick water ferns. He couldn’t carry them all, so Gu Shi ended up helping him with some.
Gu Shi used to have a slight touch of cleanliness obsession, but surprisingly, in the countryside, his insomnia and loss of appetite improved significantly, and even his cleanliness concerns vanished.
However, after walking so much, his body still felt a bit tired.
Fortunately, the distance wasn’t far. The three of them quickly returned to the lychee forest.
After hearing the boss’s chattering, Su Chen smiled and said, “Hey, you mean the water pool over there? When I was a kid, I used to go swimming there with my buddies all the time. But then the adults at home scolded me and I stopped going.”
Mainly, that area was the water source. Every household used the water that flowed from there. If they went swimming, it would be like bathing in that water. A scolding wasn’t unreasonable.
Moreover, the water pool was in a secluded location. If they were to drown, there wouldn’t even be anyone to help.
Over time, very few people set foot there. Unexpectedly, there were orchids growing there. Thinking about the potted orchids his sister had, his heart suddenly burned with enthusiasm.
Seeing the longing on his secretary’s face, Wei Liu waved his hand and said, “Let’s first find out what species of orchid it is exactly. It wouldn’t be good if we accidentally uprooted some protected national plant.”
Su Chen thought about it and indeed had calmed down.
At this moment, Father Su came over carrying a hoe and greeted them, “It’s getting late, let’s head back home.”
His eyes glanced at their hands and he chuckled, “Oh, you’ve picked water ferns, huh?”
Wei Liu proudly said, “I heard from Mu Mu last time that water ferns taste good, so we picked some to try.”
“Haha, the mountains are full of wild vegetables. After the rain, various fungi and mushrooms are abundant, not to mention the fragrant sprouts of Chinese toon, the tender shoots of Sinomenium acutum, as well as Platycodon grandiflorus, wild garlic, and so on.”
He pointed to a spot casually, “Look over there, those seedlings are Pu Gong Ying, also known as dandelion. After removing the old leaves, washing and blanching them, you can use them for cold dishes, stir-frying, or making soup.”
Wei Liu and the others listened with keen interest. Since they knew these plants were wild vegetables, they naturally couldn’t let them go untouched.
Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.
Even the “innocent” shepherd’s purse was dug up.
When they returned home, Su Mu had already prepared the food and set it on the table.
Seeing them return, she said, “Go wash up, it’s time to eat.”
Then she went under the grape arbor and woke up her sister-in-law who was sleeping on the hammock, “Sister-in-law, wake up, it’s lunchtime.”
Chen Mengzhi was disturbed by the bright sun and lifted her hand to shield her eyes. “What time is it now?”
Su Mu used some effort to pull her to a sitting position. “It’s half past eleven, sister-in-law. Did you not sleep well last night?”
Chen Mengzhi drowsily shook her head, “I slept really well. It’s just that I’ve been feeling like I haven’t had enough sleep lately. Probably because summer has arrived.”
Sitting beside her, shelling peanuts, Mother Su had a thought and looked at her daughter-in-law hesitantly, “Mengzhi, is your menstrual cycle normal?”
“It’s been pretty regular. But I’ve been busy with work recently, so I missed last month…” She hadn’t finished her sentence when she realized the meaning in her mother-in-law’s words.
Shocked, she said, “Could it be?”
Ever since her husband returned to their hometown for a few days and they began planning for a child, well, the planning was actually underway, she didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.
From planning to now, it had only been a little over half a month.
Mother Su couldn’t sit still, she held her daughter-in-law’s hand and advised, “Whether it’s true or not, take care of your body and don’t act recklessly just because you’re young. After we finish eating, let Xiao Chen take you to the hospital for a check-up.”
A smile couldn’t be suppressed on her face. She figured that her daughter-in-law was probably pregnant. When she was carrying Mu Mu, she had the same reaction—sleepiness!
Chen Mengzhi still hadn’t fully recovered from her shock. She heard her mother-in-law’s advice and nodded her head randomly.
Su Chen washed his hands and came back, noticing that the three of them had unusual expressions. He raised his voice and asked, “What’s going on?”
His voice wasn’t controlled, which startled everyone. Mother Su’s reaction was particularly intense. She stood up and patted her son’s back hard, angrily saying, “You scared your wife half to death. What’s wrong with you? I’m not finished with you.”
The first three months were crucial. If she got scared and miscarried, what would they do? This was going to be her first grandchild, and there couldn’t be any mishaps.
Su Chen winced in pain, gritting his teeth, and kept saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Only then did Mother Su let him go. “After eating, take your wife to the county hospital for a check-up.”
“Hey, why suddenly get a check-up? Wife, are you sick? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?” He walked to his wife’s side, extended his hand to check her temperature, and found nothing unusual.
Mother Su couldn’t help but say, “I told you to go, and you’re asking so many questions.”
Chen Mengzhi waved her hand, indicating that she was fine. Su Chen finally relaxed.
He replied, “Alright, we’ll go to the hospital later.”
Thinking about the soft and fragrant little nephew or niece, Su Mu felt joyful, and her steps became lighter.
Because they returned home later, there wasn’t enough time to prepare the wild vegetables that Wei Liu had dug up. He felt a bit regretful about it. But when he saw the table filled with dishes, including the wood ear mushrooms and bamboo shoots he specifically asked for, he immediately cast aside his regrets and happily started eating.
There were two choices for the main dish. As expected, Gu Shi served himself a bowl of porridge. Su Mu felt that her hard work wasn’t in vain, and her eyes curved like crescent moons.
The dish of Fuding pork slices on the table received unanimous praise.
“I tried it when I was on a business trip to Fujian Province before. I didn’t expect Mu Mu to be so skilled as well.” In fact, He Fu’s cooking skills were good. He had prepared all of Gu Shi’s meals before. However, when it came to this dish, he was truly impressed.
The Fuding pork slices were both chewy and tender, and they were the first to be completely devoured.
The other dishes were also excellent, and by the end of the meal, they had all disappeared.
After the meal, Wei Liu sent the photos to his grandfather and asked him about the species of orchid in the picture.
Meanwhile, Su Chen drove with his wife to the county hospital.
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